[CodenameBK201]

iBasso always have a full android OS and their closed linux Mano OS in dual boot mode on their DAPs. DX320 has Android 11 and the Mango OS. Not sure why you say that DX320 doesn't run full android.

Is that true? Is their android 11 uncapped? I was under the impression from reviews that app installation is limited (no play store access). Would consider picking up one if that isn't the case.

 

[wolfstar76]

Hey guys! Here's my review of the Custom Art FIBAE 5, 1DD + 2BA + 2 Planar IEM. It includes detailed impressions with graphs and comparisons against Custom Art's own F7 Unlimited as well as other competing IEMs. Enjoy!

Custom Art FIBAE 5​

Two planars, interesting configuration.

 

[gazzington]

I was actually going to message you to ask how A8000 was sitting in your collection!

It’s a fantastic iem especially for classical music. Definitely not for poorly recorded music. I like it with ambient too. It’s stayed in my collection since I’ve bought it. I’m currently considering selling a few iems but not the a8000

 

[Scubadevils]

Scuba -- re: the Trifecta... I saw you were not finding it all roses. And you're letting it run in some, which is good. Do you know about how many hours are on the pair so far? Also, be sure to thoroughly go through all tip options you have on hand, as they can make a pretty big difference. Both in perceived soundstage space, as well as comfort with that pressure. I have landed on SednaEarFit Max tips, and they help sound quality as well as comfort. Try different cables as well.

Yeah it’s been running now for a good 24 hours, only had about 3 hours on the clock when I listened last night - I decided to leave it today, and revisit tomorrow night when it’s pushing 50 hours. I was using the AET07 yesterday but I’ll definitely go through my tip armoury tomorrow night, pretty sure I have those Max tips too. I’ll report back!

 

[Rockwell75]

Penon Impact Impressions

I have had the pleasure of spending this weekend with the Penon Impact.

Overall a spectacularly enjoyable and highly refined vocal-centric signature that sounds really good with a very broad array of music-- it never sounded off or fatiguing to me. I would describe it as something of a W, centred broadly in the middle-- bass and treble are there and not really in front or behind but they mostly in a supporting role. I really like the treble. It's something I've been fixated on lately beginning with Ani & Gaea last year. Treble on impact is nice, lush, detailed and sparkly but it's not as intense & forward as in Ani and doesn't give off much if any of that e-stat etheric quality.

Mids are interesting and definitely the focal point of the IEM. One of the most interesting features of the tuning is that it seems centred right on the vocal range, with male and female vocals positioned about equally. Instrumental and vocal timbre is really nice. Occasionally I feel a touch of BA-brittleness but this could be because I've been so climatized to Trifecta recently.

Bass is punchy, present but not overbearing and decently extended. Probably the least remarkable area of the FR on the Impact which is pretty typical for BA-driven sets in my experience. All of that said as far as BA bass goes it's pretty decent and beyond the obvious never left me feeling anytihng substantial was missing.

Technically the Impact is very strong, with highlights being detail, resolution and imaging. As with the Traillii the highlight of the Impact for me is its refined mid-centric tonality that sounds good with pretty much everything I've thrown at it.

Quick Comparisons

Traillii - This will be from memory by necessity as I have not heard a Traillii since CanJam. I definitely see the similarities. Fom memory Impact has a little more bass presence and oomph and at the same time lacks a bit of Traillii's pristine transpaency. I'm also not prepared to say it has the magic "je ne sais quoi" factor that the Old Man imbued the Traillii. The bird always swept me up and made me forget time and space as son as I plugged them in. While Impact is very engaging and inviting to long sessions it hasn't quite touched my heart in quite the same way. It could be that I've moved on a little from this sort of sound sig. Curious to hear Trailii alongside this eventually to compare.

Trifecta - It is interesing coming to a fully BA and e-stat driven set after weeks of an exclusive diet of Trifecta's full bodied analogue sound. There is definitely more resolution and precision here with the Impact (par for the course) but at the same time my attention is now skewed more towards getting lost in the detail. It feels now more like I'm looking at a painting in a gallery than becoming one with the feeling and groove which comes more natural to me on DD sets like Trifecta. Technically Impact wins over Trifecta in terms of raw detail and resolution but Trifecta has a vaster deeper stage with better layering.

Some of the music used in the above:

Alice in Chains - No Excuses (Jar of Flies version)
Herbaliser - Starlight
Underworld - M.E.
Morcheeba - The Sea
Everly Brothers - All I Have to do is Dream

 

[RTodd]

Yeah it’s been running now for a good 24 hours, only had about 3 hours on the clock when I listened last night - I decided to leave it today, and revisit tomorrow night when it’s pushing 50 hours. I was using the AET07 yesterday but I’ll definitely go through my tip armoury tomorrow night, pretty sure I have those Max tips too. I’ll report back!

I would like it if you could do a comparison to your favorite single driver analogue sounding DD set. For obvious reasons I think, does three DDs expand the ability of a DD presentation to keep timbre accurate for instruments. So far Trifecta is the set I have heard that is my favorite for piano solos, such as Keith Jarrett’s live Koln concert.

I am developing a thought that for electronic music, DDs in the treble region are not going to do what is needed for that music. If that is true how does a single DD set do it, where a triple DD set does not?

Also if you could please use the DX320.

 

[Rockwell75]

If that is true how does a single DD set do it, where a triple DD set does not?

I think it comes down to the speed of the driver. Some DDs are designed or tweaked to be really fast, which makes them more articulate but as a tradeoff you lose a bit of that analogue richness. Personally I think Trifecta's treble is fine...great even. But I don't seem to listen to a lot of music that is incredibly demanding in terms of driver speed.

 

[aaf evo]

Penon Impact Impressions

I have had the pleasure of spending this weekend with the Penon Impact.

Overall a spectacularly enjoyable and highly refined vocal-centric signature that sounds really good with a very broad array of music-- it never sounded off or fatiguing to me. I would describe it as something of a W, centred broadly in the middle-- bass and treble are there and not really in front or behind but they mostly in a supporting role. I really like the treble. It's something I've been fixated on lately beginning with Ani & Gaea last year. Treble on impact is nice, lush, detailed and sparkly but it's not as intense & forward as in Ani and doesn't give off much if any of that e-stat etheric quality.

Mids are interesting and definitely the focal point of the IEM. One of the most interesting features of the tuning is that it seems centred right on the vocal range, with male and female vocals positioned about equally. Instrumental and vocal timbre is really nice. Occasionally I feel a touch of BA-brittleness but this could be because I've been so climatized to Trifecta recently.

Bass is punchy, present but not overbearing and decently extended. Probably the least remarkable area of the FR on the Impact which is pretty typical for BA-driven sets in my experience. All of that said as far as BA bass goes it's pretty decent and beyond the obvious never left me feeling anytihng substantial was missing.

Technically the Impact is very strong, with highlights being detail, resolution and imaging. As with the Traillii the highlight of the Impact for me is its refined mid-centric tonality that sounds good with pretty much everything I've thrown at it.

Quick Comparisons

Traillii - This will be from memory by necessity as I have not heard a Traillii since CanJam. I definitely see the similarities. Fom memory Impact has a little more bass presence and oomph and at the same time lacks a bit of Traillii's pristine transpaency. I'm also not prepared to say it has the magic "je ne sais quoi" factor that the Old Man imbued the Traillii. The bird always swept me up and made me forget time and space as son as I plugged them in. While Impact is very engaging and inviting to long sessions it hasn't quite touched my heart in quite the same way. It could be that I've moved on a little from this sort of sound sig. Curious to hear Trailii alongside this eventually to compare.

Trifecta - It is interesing coming to a fully BA and e-stat driven set after weeks of an exclusive diet of Trifecta's full bodied analogue sound. There is definitely more resolution and precision here with the Impact (par for the course) but at the same time my attention is now skewed more towards getting lost in the detail. It feels now more like I'm looking at a painting in a gallery than becoming one with the feeling and groove which comes more natural to me on DD sets like Trifecta. Technically Impact wins over Trifecta in terms of raw detail and resolution but Trifecta has a vaster deeper stage with better layering.

Some of the music used in the above:

Alice in Chains - No Excuses (Jar of Flies version)
Herbaliser - Starlight
Underworld - M.E.
Morcheeba - The Sea
Everly Brothers - All I Have to do is Dream

Pretty much exactly how I felt about the Impact also. It didn’t quite tug my heart strings like Traillii did. To piggy back from your impressions, I also felt Impact was a W shape with the treble having slightly lesser emphasis than the bass and mids, which I felt that was something Traillii got correct with it’s tonal balance. With regards to my library it just felt a bit too dull up top for some of my music and didn’t quite portray it right for me. I often found myself turning the volume up to bring a smidge more top end into my ears.

It is a great IEM, definitely not something I felt the need to open my wallet for and if I did miss that sound I’d go for Traillii again I think, but the lack of any vacuum pressure was a nice addition as well as the option for a CIEM.

 

[RTodd]

I think it comes down to the speed of the driver. Some DDs are designed or tweaked to be really fast, which makes them more articulate but as a tradeoff you lose a bit of that analogue richness. Personally I think Trifecta's treble is fine...great even. But I don't seem to listen to a lot of music that is incredibly demanding in terms of driver speed.

I remember that from my Utopia vs Clear shoot out, I liked the Clear better, which is not necessarily the popular opinion. The beryllium of the Utopia made that DD too fast for my taste at that time, feels like a decade ago.

 

[wolfstar76]

I remember that from my Utopia vs Clear shoot out, I liked the Clear better, which is not necessarily the popular opinion. The beryllium of the Utopia made that DD too fast for my taste at that time, feels like a decade ago.

Then you may not like ZMF Verite, but prefer Atrium.

 

[Alan Billington]

Hey guys! Here's my review of the Custom Art FIBAE 5, 1DD + 2BA + 2 Planar IEM. It includes detailed impressions with graphs and comparisons against Custom Art's own F7 Unlimited as well as other competing IEMs. Enjoy!

Custom Art FIBAE 5​

Certainly was a glowing report of an IEM I’ve not heard masses. Thanks for that great write up!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Listening to VE SIE+DX320X AMP14 and I really like it with grunge/numetal music.
Great bass and warm enough to be pleasant and not harsh, but never muddy.
maybe I’ll consider an higher set with similar tuning, in my mind comes LX SE

 

[Bret Halford]

Listening to VE SIE+DX320X AMP14 and I really like it with grunge/numetal music.
Great bass and warm enough to be pleasant and not harsh, but never muddy.
maybe I’ll consider an higher set with similar tuning, in my mind comes LX SE

I really like the Evo for Grunge, I'd bet the LX would do well with it!

 

[linux4ever]

Is that true? Is their android 11 uncapped? I was under the impression from reviews that app installation is limited (no play store access). Would consider picking up one if that isn't the case.

Twister's review says: "With access to full Android, you have support of WiFi and Bluetooth, can load other apps, stream audio, etc, though you have to be aware that stock DX320 doesn’t have Google Play. Instead, it comes pre-loaded with APKPure and CoolApk apps where you can search and download most of the apps to install on your DAP. But the easier way is to download and install Google Play straight from APKPure which I did without any issues.

One word of advice, once you install Google Play store, get rid of APKPure and CoolApk apps because they are only wasting resources while running in the background and constantly checking your installed apps"

Full review: https://twister6.com/2022/08/15/ibasso-dx320/3/

So you get a full Android and just use APKPure once to install Google Play. From then on you've play store access and you're all set.

 

[emdeevee]

Is that true? Is their android 11 uncapped? I was under the impression from reviews that app installation is limited (no play store access). Would consider picking up one if that isn't the case.

You can put the play store on iBasso, but not on AK players.